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Last update - 22:41 24/06/2009
Netanyahu: No Palestine without demilitarization
By The Associated Press
Tags: settlements, Netanyahu 

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Wednesday that his suggestion of a demilitarized Palestinian state was gaining international ground and was the only solution for Middle East peace.

"The idea of a demilitarized state will in course become accepted," Netanyahu said after meeting the leaders of France and Italy.

"If it is not accepted, there will not be an agreement," he told following his meeting in Paris with French President Nicolas Sarkozy. "It cannot be that there is a Palestinian state and the struggle will continue within it."
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Sarkozy, meanwhile, said that Israel must take immediate confidence-building measures for Middle East peace, including a complete freeze of construction in West Bank settlements.

The French leader told reporters after his meeting with Netanyahu that Israel must also work to improve freedom of movement for Palestinians in the West Bank.

He also called for the immediate creation of a viable Palestinian state and offered to contribute French troops to an international force, with the United States and Paris's EU partners, to secure peace in the region.

Netanyahu reiterated his stance that Israel had no intention "of expropriating additional land" for settlements, but that it had a right to build within existing settlements.

"All we want is for [the settlers] to have a normal life," he said.

He praised the French president as "an old friend of Israel and a great champion of peace and security for our country and the Middle East."

Netanyahu had planned to meet in Paris with Washington's top Mideast envoy George Mitchell, but postponed the meeting in order to gain time to iron out differences over West Bank settlements.

Defense Minister Ehud Barak will instead meet Mitchell next week in Washington.

Speaking to reporters in Paris, Netanyau downplayed the tensions with the U.S. Differences could occur "among the best of friends," Netanyahu said, adding that Israel was in the process of clarifying its settlement policy to Washington.

"We have an unbreakable bond of friendship with the United States," Netanyahu added.

"I asked for the postponement of the meeting," Netanyahu said about the talks he had planned to hold with Mitchell in the French capital. "Mr. Mitchell agreed immediately. We believed we had to clarify several issues and statistics. The defense minister will do this on Monday in the United States."

"We will continue the contacts, with goodwill and with the intention of reaching understandings that will advance a peace process - a diplomatic process between us and the Palestinians, and I hope between us and the rest of the Arab world."

Mitchell has been conducting low-profile talks with Israel in a bid to reach an agreement on the settlement issue, a government official told Haaretz.

The source said that Israel is considering enacting a temporary freeze on settlement construction, excluding projects already underway, if the United States agrees to continued construction for natural growth once the freeze ends.

Israel and the United States have already agreed that all unauthorized outposts are to be removed "within weeks or months," no new settlements are to be built and no Palestinian land is to be confiscated.

However, they disagree over the duration of the settlement freeze and the future of settlement construction projects already underway.

Israel is offering to halt some settlement construction for up to six months, while the United States is interested in a considerably longer period.

In addition, Israel wants to convince Washington that building projects currently underway should be allowed to continue - including the construction of up to several thousand housing units.

The leader of the Arab League on Wednesday said that negotiating with Israel while settlements were continuing to expand was tantamount to surrendering on "matters over which we cannot surrender".

"Settlements destroy peace and prevent negotiations. If settlement does not stop, there will be a big catastrophe in the peace [process]," Arab League Secretary General Amr Moussa told journalists after a meeting of Arab foreign ministers in Cairo.

Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi raised the settlement issue in a meeting with Netanyahu in Rome on Tuesday, telling him that settlement construction may become an obstacle for peace, and must be stopped.

Netanyahu is reported to have replied that "an agreed-upon formula can be found with the U.S. if this is what they're looking for."

Speaking at a press conference after the meeting in Rome, Netanyahu said he had no intention of giving up his vision of a final-status agreement in which a demilitarized Palestinian state acknowledges Israel as a Jewish state.

"This isn't a trick or a maneuver," Netanyahu said. "It will become a stepping stone on the way to true peace."

Last week, Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman told U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton that Israel could not accept the Obama administration's demand to "completely" halt activity in West Bank settlements.

"We have no intention of changing the demographic balance in Judea and Samaria," Lieberman said during his talks with the secretary of state in Washington.

"Everywhere people are born, people die, and we cannot accept a vision of stopping completely the settlements. We have to keep the natural growth."

Still, he said, Israel "ready for direct negotiations with the Palestinians."

Clinton, for her part, reiterated that the U.S. viewed a total settlement freeze as "important and essential" step toward achieving peace between Israel and the Palestinians.

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      1.   Beebee was told that his homework assignment 16:05  |  Erastus CoupeDeVille 24/06/09
      2.   Delay 17:49  |  John 24/06/09
      3.   Erastus #1... not only to do his lessons better... 17:49  |  Esther 24/06/09
      4.   Netanyahu delays U.S. talks due to settlement debate 17:50  |  Emile 24/06/09
      5.   Positions Clearly in Conflict 18:44  |  Yaakov Sullivan 24/06/09
      6.   Is that a Yellow Streak I see? 18:47  |  Tim 24/06/09
      7.   error 19:26  |  Safi H. 24/06/09
      8.   Natural growth is a moot point 19:39  |  Natallie Durson 24/06/09
      9.   Transfer 20:00  |  Shmuel 24/06/09
      10.   #s 1#3 you appear to overestimate the pressure that the US can 20:09  |  Jane 24/06/09
      11.   Is there any nation anywhere that supports Israels settlements? 20:10  |  Natallie Durson 24/06/09
      12.   NO to freeze crap 20:12  |  Brod 24/06/09
      13.   israel stands alone in defiance of int`l community 20:20  |  Todd 24/06/09
      14.   Ignore your best friends at your peril 20:22  |  Ussishkin 24/06/09
      15.   The Tide Has Turned - The U.S., G.B., France, Italy... 20:26  |  chet 24/06/09
      16.   Obama and Hamas groupie from TA ,Leftie Esther 20:29  |  Absolute Sweden 24/06/09
      17.   Obama, Sarkozy, Merkel et al 20:30  |  Yaakov Sullivan 24/06/09
      18.   BORDERS, BORDERS, BORDERS FIRST. 20:38  |  Lou Medel 24/06/09
      19.   Emperor Nicholas the First Commands 20:39  |  Mark Lincoln 24/06/09
      20.   Israel Freezes Settlements or US Freezes Funds 20:47  |  Ed 24/06/09
      21.   STOP the settlements 20:59  |  tiki 24/06/09
      22.   An illeagal squatter is not entitled to "A normal life". 21:03  |  Jane@amazon.com 24/06/09
      23.   French troops to an international force 21:06  |  vik 24/06/09
      24.   Freeze all settlements 21:14  |  Jewgirl 24/06/09
      25.   to Emile #4 21:15  |  zeev 24/06/09
      26.   A little surreal 21:18  |  Colin Wright 24/06/09
      27.   A next step : All Turkish construction in Smyrna,occupied Greek 21:35  |  Absolute Sweden 24/06/09
      28.   Viva la france 21:38  |  Indigenous 24/06/09
      29.   Netanyahu: 22:23  |  Ralph 24/06/09
      30.   The guy is turnning into an international laughingstock.. 02:40  |  David 25/06/09
      31.   Stay strong Bibi 03:06  |  E 25/06/09
      32.   It Proves Israel do not want Peace 03:18  |  Williams 25/06/09
      33.   Just to point out something...... 03:35  |  Johnboy 25/06/09
      34.   To "Yaakov Sullivan" 03:43  |  Dan Zilberman 25/06/09
      35.   Sanctions - Durson`s Wet Dream 03:44  |  Fish 25/06/09
      36.   Whoever Said A Demilitarized Palestinian State is Optimal? 03:53  |  Shaul Ben-Yimini 25/06/09
      37.   Correct!!! 03:58  |  Nechama 25/06/09
      38.   stay strong Bibi 04:08  |  E 25/06/09
      39.   Arab/ Palestinian settlements 04:31  |  Daniel L 25/06/09
      40.   #11 sorry nat 04:58  |  E 25/06/09
      41.   Johnboy get off your high horse 13:10  |  Peter Williams 25/06/09
      42.   Bibi tell Obma he wants to talk he agrees to your terms 14:54  |  zionist forever 25/06/09
      43.   #41 Peter Williams tries it on again. 03:11  |  Johnboy 26/06/09
      44.   What is Israel too demilitarized???? 03:12  |  Macho Alfa 26/06/09
      45.   Remember Sarko is a jew too!! 03:19  |  Macho Alfa 26/06/09
      46.   The Palis will never agree to no military and no right of return 03:35  |  dudu 26/06/09
      47.   What are 1,000 tanks for? 04:01  |  Capt Ahab 26/06/09
      48.   #42 Wonderfully ego-centric, zionist forever 05:28  |  Johnboy 26/06/09
      49.   #39 Ahem, Daniel..... 05:34  |  Johnboy 26/06/09
      50.   #49 Johnboy, "Ahem" clearing your throat? 18:40  |  *BEN JABO 26/06/09
      51.   #44 Macho Alfa - No way Jose 18:44  |  *BEN JABO 26/06/09
      52.   Ja ja Johnboy 18:57  |  Arik 26/06/09
      53.   ACCEPT CANTONS, as good as is going to get 20:04  |  Akiva P 26/06/09
      54.   To zionist forever@ 42 Right On! Bibi should make the rules,Not 21:02  |  Whiskey/Bravo 26/06/09
      55.   You`re clearly no lawyer Johnboy 01:32  |  Peter Williams 27/06/09
      56.   Freeze all US work in Occupied Mexico. 03:12  |  Fortuna Benmayor 27/06/09
      57.   Demilitarized Palestine 09:32  |  Jason Paz 27/06/09
      58.   #33 Just to point out something else you omitted, Johnboy 13:38  |  The Prophet 27/06/09
      59.   #53 Errr, no, you are wrong, Fortuna 15:49  |  Johnboy 27/06/09
      60.   #53 Fortuna Benmayor 16:42  |  BDS 27/06/09
      61.   Settlements, Schmettlements 17:50  |  DOC HOLLIDAY 27/06/09
      62.   # 39 Dream on 18:30  |  C2 27/06/09
      63.   #44: Macho Alfa, logic flawed 18:31  |  DOC HOLLIDAY 27/06/09
      64.   To Peter Williams@52..Take it as read with JB.He keeps on as 23:44  |  KATHY 27/06/09
      65.   # 53 fortuna 00:06  |  Axel 28/06/09
      66.   to Fortuna Benmayor #53 - 2nd try 10:50  |  zeev 28/06/09
      67.   #66 Zeev - You have to prove legitimacy 21:26  |  *BEN JABO 28/06/09
      68.   #55 You are clearly no thinker, Peter Williams 07:13  |  Johnboy 29/06/09
      69.   #50 Ahem, BENjie (2nd try) 07:22  |  Johnboy 29/06/09
      70.   israel needs to stop defying the World 00:41  |  Tony Silver 30/06/09
      71.   to *BEN JABO #67 - 2nd try 01:00  |  zeev 30/06/09
      72.   #69 Johnboy - #BSD -Ever hear of the League of Nations 02:24  |  *BEN JABO 30/06/09
      73.   #71 Zeev - Despite your opinion 02:50  |  *BEN JABO 30/06/09
      74.   #70 Hi Yo Silver 02:54  |  *BEN JABO 30/06/09
      75.   #72 Your argument is all over the shop, BEN JABO 06:26  |  Johnboy 30/06/09
      76.   to *BEN JABO #73 11:26  |  zeev 30/06/09
      77.   #76 Zeev - So Abdullah got Jordan 18:02  |  *BEN JABO 30/06/09
      78.   to *BEN JABO #77 21:01  |  zeev 01/07/09
      79.   israel stands alone 12:25  |  david 0 18/08/09
      80.   To Johnboy 02:11  |  Ken 11/09/09
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